Kellett shoots the lights out in Norway

8/9/2013 2:33:00 PM

Ross Kellett (Getty Images)

Ross Kellett carded the best round of his professional career, a nine under par 63, to move into the lead whenthe first round wrapped up on the second day of the Norwegian Challenge following an overnight rain delay at Losby Golf Club.

The Scotsman, who has already begun his second round and birdied the second hole to move to ten under, made a flying start in his opening round after teeing off at the tenth hole, birdieing the opening three holes thanks to some excellent approach shots.

Birdies at the 15th and 17th took him to the turn in five under par before a superb tee shot on the par three second, to three feet, helped him pick up another shot. The 25 year old sank a 35 foot putt for another birdie at the fourth, and two more at the seventh and ninth resulted in a flawless nine under round which handed him a one-shot lead over Phillip Archer.

“I'm not sure where that round has come from,” said the Motherwell man, who has missed the cut in his last five tournaments. “I feel like a good week could turn my season around, whether it’s this week or in the next few weeks.

“If I can keep believing in it, my season can change in a heartbeat. At the start coming to this tour, it was all new to me and I thought, ‘These guys are good’. But I feel like I can compete here and today gave me a bit more belief that I can shoot these numbers out here.

“I don’t feel I've been playing bad golf this year, but it’s just not quite been good enough. I've been one over or level after two rounds and out here that’s no good; you need to be seeing birdies everywhere, every week.”

One shot further back was Archer, in second place after an eight under par 64, while Benjamin Hebert’s early seven under round of 65 left him in third place.

The second round teed off at 1:30pm local time in beautiful weather at the venue near Oslo, while the afternoon groups will not tee off before 6:00pm.